For much of Horry County, the first week of June means one thing: Carolina Country Music Fest is back in town. The 11th annual CCMF runs June 4–7, 2026, at Burroughs & Chapin Pavilion Place in downtown Myrtle Beach — the 18-acre oceanfront stretch between Eighth and Ninth Avenues North [Retreat Myrtle Beach, 2026; Visit Myrtle Beach, 2026]. As neighbors rather than out-of-towners, we start with a built-in advantage: no hotel required. But opening night still rewards a little planning. Here is how to make Thursday count.

Two Alabama Boys Open the Festival

Thursday’s McDonald’s Kick-Off Concert leans hard on the Yellowhammer State. Drake White, a Hokes Bluff, Alabama, native, is slated for an early-evening set around 5:30 p.m., while fellow Alabamian Riley Green — raised in Jacksonville — closes the night as Thursday’s headliner near 10 p.m. [Carolina Country Music Fest, 2026]. Green carries some weight on this bill: he was the fourth and final headliner CCMF announced for 2026, joining Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Post Malone across the long weekend [WMBF, 2026]. Gates open Thursday at 3 p.m., and the grounds close around 11:30 p.m., leaving plenty of room to catch both hometown-adjacent stars [WPDE, 2026]. Because individual set times can move, it is worth confirming them in the official CCMF app the day of the show.

Knowing the schedule, though, is only half the job. Getting to the gate is the part locals most often underestimate.

Park Smart and Plan Your Ride

Even if you have driven Kings Highway a thousand times, festival week changes the math. Official festival parking sits at the Myrtle Beach city lot at 2400 North Oak Street — the former Myrtle Beach Mall site — with a free, continuous shuttle to the venue included in every parking pass [Carolina Country Music Fest, 2026]. Those passes must be bought in advance, and recent listings have placed a four-day pass between roughly $99 and $119 depending on the source, so buy early and check the official site for the current rate [Visit Myrtle Beach, 2026; MyrtleBeachSC News, 2026]. Organizers also close several streets around the venue, so allow extra travel time [Carolina Country Music Fest, 2026].

If you would rather be dropped off, the designated rideshare zone is on Ninth Avenue North, about a block from the grounds — but expect Uber and Lyft prices to surge right at gate-open and gate-close [Holiday Pavilion Resort, 2026]. One more local tip: register your wristband ahead of time and download the CCMF app, since will-call lines on opening Thursday can stretch 30 to 45 minutes at peak [Local to Coastal Realty, 2026].

Once you are in, you do not have to stay put all night — which opens up some tasty options just outside the fence.

Eat Outside the Gates

The festival runs on a cashless wristband system with food and beverage vendors on site, but CCMF also allows unlimited same-day re-entry [Visit Myrtle Beach, 2026]. For Horry County folks who would rather spend their money at a familiar counter, that means you can duck out, grab a real meal, and walk right back in.

The closest option is practically next door: Ocean Front Bar & Grill at 100 Ninth Avenue North sits right at the festival’s edge. A block south, the 8th Ave Tiki Bar & Grill (708 N. Ocean Blvd.) serves oceanfront bar food late into the night. For a cheap, only-in-Myrtle-Beach bite, Peaches Corner at 900 N. Ocean Boulevard has been slinging foot-long hot dogs and burgers since 1937. A few blocks north along the boardwalk sit some of the area’s highest-rated casual spots — LandShark Bar & Grill (1110 N. Ocean Blvd.), the rooftop at RipTydz Oceanfront Grille (1210 N. Ocean Blvd.), which stays open latest, and Pier 14 Seafood Restaurant (1306 N. Ocean Blvd.) for a sit-down plate over the water [business listings, 2026].

Great food aside, opening night also offers a chance to support musicians from our own backyard.

Don’t Sleep on the Local Acts

Before the Alabama headliners take over, keep an eye on the smaller stages. The Bounty Hunters have been the house band at Myrtle Beach’s World Famous Bowery since 1990, and they bring that six-nights-a-week, crowd-working country sound to the CCMF lineup [Carolina Country Music Fest, 2025; MyrtleBeach.com, 2025]. Also worth your time is Tim Elliott, a hard-touring, working-class country singer who plays roughly 200 dates a year and has earned a reputation as a “human jukebox” who is nearly impossible to stump with requests [Carolina Country Music Fest, 2024]. These are the sets where you stumble onto your next favorite act.

The Bottom Line

Opening night is the easiest day of CCMF for locals to enjoy, as long as you lock in parking, plan your ride, and know your exits. Sort the lot and the wristband in advance, keep the app handy for set times, lean on the boardwalk for dinner, and give the regional acts a listen. Then settle in for two Alabama boys closing out a Myrtle Beach evening — the kind of night that reminds you why the festival comes home to Horry County every June.

---

Further Reading

• Carolina Country Music Fest — Official site & Thursday Kick-Off lineup: https://carolinacountrymusicfest.com/tickets/kickoff-concert/
• CCMF 101 — Parking, shuttle, bag policy & street closures: https://carolinacountrymusicfest.com/plan/ccmf-101/
• WPDE — Everything to know before CCMF 2026 (gates, parking, shuttle): https://wpde.com/news/local/everything-you-need-to-know-before-heading-to-ccmf-2026-lineup-tickets-performers-headliners-buy-wristband-registration-time-location-parking-shuttle-app
• WMBF — CCMF releases full 2026 daily lineup: https://www.wistv.com/2026/03/03/carolina-country-music-fest-releases-full-2026-daily-line-up/
• Visit Myrtle Beach — Carolina Country Music Festival event page: https://www.visitmyrtlebeach.com/things-to-do/events/carolina-country-music-festival
• MyrtleBeachSC News — CCMF 2026 lineup, tickets & parking: https://myrtlebeachsc.com/ccmf-2026-lineup-tickets-parking/
• Holiday Pavilion Resort — CCMF Myrtle Beach lineup, schedule, parking & rideshare: https://www.holidaypavilionresort.com/blog/ccmf-myrtle-beach/
• The Bounty Hunters — CCMF artist page: https://carolinacountrymusicfest.com/lineup/the-bounty-hunters/
• Tim Elliott — CCMF artist page: https://carolinacountrymusicfest.com/lineup/tim-elliot/